Corn-planter.



MCDONALD H. WILSON. CORN PLANTBR.

APPLIOATION FILED ouT. 1s, 1911.

1,045,087, PatenneaNov. 19,1912.

Ziff g f6 FCE.

CORN-PLANTER.

l Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented NOV. 19, 1912.

Application filed October 13, 1911. Serial No. 654,460.

T o alt whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, McDoNALD H. WiL- soN, a citizen of the UnitedStates, and a resident of Lexington, in the county of Lafayette andState of Missouri, have invented a new and Improved Corn-Planter, ofwhich the following is a full, clear, and exact description.

Among the principal objects which the present invention has in view are:to provide a driving mechanism for the dropper operable by the carryingwheels of the planter, which may be regulated as to the initialoperation to place the seeds in parallel arrangement in a planted field;and to provide a driving mechanism which is simple, durable and at alltimes under control.

One embodiment of the present invention is disclosed in the structureillustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which like characters ofreference denote correspond ing parts in all the views, and in which-Figure 1 is a plan view of a corn planter constructed and arranged inaccordance with the present invention; Fig. 2 is a longitudinal sectiontaken on the line 2 2 in Fig. l; Fig. 3 is a detail view, on enlargedscale and in vertical section, taken on the line 3-3 in Fig. 1; Fig. 4is a detail view, Von an enlarged scale, and showing in vertical sectiona portion of the dropper operating mechanism, the section being taken onthe line 4-4 in Fig. 1; and Fig. 5 is a cross section on enlarged scaletaken on the line 5-5 in Fig. 3.

As seen in the accompanying drawings, the plows or furrow openers 9, 9are each disposed in front of and in line with the carrying wheels ofthe vehicle. The fellies of the carrying wheels, as shown, are formed oftwo inwardly inclined rings 10, 10, said rings being spaced'apart andheld in position by cross bars l1 to which the spokes 38 of the wheelsare intimately secured. The wheels are each loosely mounted upon theaxle 12. The axle 12 supports the frame V13 upon which is mounted thedrivers seat 14, and the cross frame 15 from which are hung the plows orrunners 9 and upon `which are supported the hoppers 16 and the droppermechanism therefor, which dropper mechanism has journaled therein theshaft 17. The mechanisms and structures enumerated are substantiallythose at present employed.

The present invention primarily consists in the construction andarrangement of the transmission mechanism operatively connecting one ofthe carrying wheels and the shaft 17.

The shaft 17 has rigidly mounted thereon a ratchet wheel 18, engagedwith the ratchet teeth whereof is a swinging gravity pawl 19. As seenbest in Fig. 4 of the drawings, the pawl 19 operates only when theplunger 2O is moved in a forward direction, the said pawl over-ridingthe teeth of the ratchet wheel 18 when the said plunger is retracted ordrawn backward by the operation of the spiral spring 21.

The plunger 20 is slidably mounted in bearings formed in the brackets22. The spring 21 rests between the forward bracket 22 and a pin 23driven through the plunger 20 to receive and hold one end of the saidspring 21. The normal operation of the spring 21 thus arranged is toforce backward toward the rear of the machine the plunger 20, and toforce the foot plate 24 with which the plunger is provided in the pathof the pintles 25. The forward end of the plunger 20 is bifurcated toform the yoke 26, the arms whereof straddle the shaft- 17 and serve as aguide for the operation of the plunger 20 and the pawl 19 mountedthereon.

The pintles 25 are set out from the face of a disk 27, which disk isrigidly mounted on the drum 28. The drum 28 is normally rotatively andslidably mounted on the axle l2, and is provided at the outer end withthe ratchet clutch teeth 29 which engage corresponding teeth on the hub30 of one of the carrying wheels. The pitch of the teeth on the hub 30and drum 28 is such as to engage when the carrying wheel is rotated in aforward direction, and to disengage or override when the said carryingwheel is rotated in the opposite direction, as in the backing of thevehicle. In this manner is prevented any possible breakage resultantupon the pintles 25 engaging the plate 24 from in front, which wouldresult from rotating the disk 27 backward, as seen best in Fig. 4 of thedrawings. It will be understood that the pintles 25 are of a length toengage the plate 24 when the drum 28 is shifted laterally to engage thehub 30.

The drum 28 is normally held out of engagement with the hub 30 by a flatspring 31. The spring 31 is provided with a head '2O and the pawl 19forward. The

32 the sides whereof are tapered or inclined to ride into and out of theannular groove 33 when sufficient pressure is exerted upon the drum 28to lift the head 32 from the said groove. The spring 31 is suitablysecured to one of the side bars of the frame 13, as seen best in Fig. 1of the drawings.

The drum 28 is shifted by manipulating the lever 34. The lever 34 issuitably mounted in bearings in standards 35, and is provided with pins36 to engage a suitable groove formed 1n the drum 28, as shown in Figs.1 and 4 ofthe drawings. Vhen in the operation of the planter thecarrying wheel thereof having the hub 30, is reversed, the ratchet teethof the said hub, and the ratchet teeth formed on the drum 28 cooperateto move the said drum away from the hub 30. The head 32 of the spring 31is lifted by this action from behind the drum 28 to rest in the groove33.

With a planter constructed and arranged as described the operation is asfollows: The drum 28 being held by the spring 31 in disengaged relationto the hub 30, the team is driven until the planter is disposed wherethe dropping mechanism is in position to deposit its first hill of seedin line with the rows previously formed. The driver then grasps thelever 34 and moves the drum 28 until the teeth 29 thereof engage theteeth on the hub 30. If it is necessary to insure the prompt action ofthe dropping mechanism at the beginning of the rotation of the carryingwheel, this is secured by partly rotating the drum 28 until one of thepintles 25 rests against the foot plate 24. In this position of the drum28 the head 32 of the spring 31 rests behind the drum 28 and holds theteeth 29 of the same in engagement with the teeth of the hub 30 duringthe continuation of the operation. As each of the pintles 25 strike thefoot plate 24 it forces the same and the plunger pawl 19 engages theteeth of the ratchet wheel 18 to partially rotate the same and the shaft17 on which it is mounted. The dropper mechanism connected with theshaft 17 and disposed in each of the hoppers 16 is thereby operated atregular intervals during the progress of the planter.

It is the intention of the operation to drop the seeds at adefiniteppoint in the row being planted, the failure to do which is anobjection under which the usual check wire operated machines havelabored. The disadvantage encountered in the employment of the checkwire is thus avoided by the employment of a suitable operating mechanismfor the dropping mechanism, which operating mechanism is actuated fromand byv the carrying wheels of the machine.

To prevent lost motion in the drum 28 and to avoid the retraction of thesame when for any reason the vehicle, or the power traction wheelthereof is reversed in its movement, the head 32 is beveled as seen inFigs. 3 and 5 of the drawings, and the groove 33 has formed therein therearwardly faced ratchet teeth 37 to be engaged thereby.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new and desire tosecure by Letters Patent is 1. In a corn planter such as described,having seed-droppers, a supporting frame and carrying wheels therefor; atransmission mechanism operatively connecting oneV of said carryingwheels and said' drop-ping mechanism, comprising aI ratchet toothedvmember Xedly mounted on one of saidV carrying wheels and disposedconcentric therewith, the teeth of said ratchet toothed member beingforwardly pitched; a drum slidaloly and rotatively mounted on the axleof said frame, having. ratchet teeth rearwardly pitched to engage theratchet teeth on said carrying wheels; a plurality of thrust membersmounted on said drum to successively actuate said droppers; anda pawl toengage said drum, toV prevent the rearward rotation thereof.

2. In a corn planter such as described, having seed-droppers, asupporting `frame and carrying wheels therefor; a transmission mechanismoperatively connecting one of said carrying wheels and said droppingmechanism, comprising a ratchet toothed member fiXedly mounted on one ofsaid carrying wheels and disposed concentric therewith, the teeth ofsaid ratchet toothed memloerl being forwardly pitched; a drum slidablyand rotatively mounted on the 'axle of said frame, havingratchet teethrearwardly pitched to engage the-ratchet teeth on said carrying wheels;a plurality of thrust members mounted on said drum to successivelyactuate said droppers; and a pawl to engage Vsaid drum, to prevent therearward rotation thereof, said pawl being provided with a head adaptedto yieldingly two subscribing witnesses.

i MCDONALD HARDCASTLE WILSON.

Witnesses:

W. B. WILSON, J. O. LEsn-EUR.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for ve cents each, by addressingthe Gomniissioper ,et latents, Washington, I).` C.

